Sergiu Vesca (Executive Director of the National Farmers’ Federation) was elected Chair of SARA and Marina Albu (Chair of the Rural Community Development Network) was elected Secretary.
The Council unites associations of both general corporate (for example, the Federation of Agricultural Producers of Moldova FARM) and sectoral (Association of Sheep and Goat Producers) levels. There are both “pure” agrarians (the Association of Berry Producers “Pomușoarele Moldovei”) and processors (the Association of Processors from the agri-food industry Speranța-Con). Both livestock and crop producers are represented in the council, both conventionally large-scale (e.g. poultry farmers) and small-scale (rabbit farmers) industries.
It is also important that among the founders of SARA are associations that have recently been opponents of each other in public dialog (in particular, the Pork Producers Association and the Patronage Association of the Meat Processing Industry).
According to the founding document, the SARA Council is apolitical. However, it includes Forța Fermierilor, an association that is perceived by many as being in opposition to the ruling political party (despite the organization’s leadership’s declared lack of political ambitions).
Moreover, at least some association leaders claim to have participated in the creation of SARA, as they perceive it as a discussion platform aimed at identifying the best solutions for Moldova in its European integration process, as well as a constructive dialog with the Moldovan authorities and the EU. At the same time, they are against giving SARA an official (registered with the relevant authorities) legal status.
